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CONTAINER Oct. 22, 1963 INVENTOR #Awa/v HM(v BY )"{mkj da (dm ATTORNE Y United States Patent() 3,107,841 CONTAINER Aaron Fink, Maplewood, NJ., assigner to Essex Paper Box Manufacturing Company, Inc., Newark, N.J.a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 234,289 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-52) The present invention relates generally to improvements in receptacles and it relates more particularly to a container, box, car-ton or the like provided with an improved handleand releasable locking arrangement.

In boxes, cartons and like receptacles which are formed of cardboard or similar material it is a common expedient to provide ,a handle which is either permanently or releasably attached to the receptacle which may likewise have aiixed thereto a locking device. The receptacles provided with permanently attached handles and locking devices, while desirable in that they Kare convenient Ito use, possess many drawbacks and disadvantages. They are relatively expensive so that they `are not generally expendable and are thus not normally employed for the packaging `and dispensing of retail merchandise. Furthermore, these receptacles are unattractive and unreliable and otherwise leave much `to be desi-red. Detachable and temporary handles of many types have been heretofore employed and proposed but these likewise leave much to be desired. The locking of the receptacle is time consuming and inconvenient as is the attachment of the handle and the assembly is of a temporary nature and unattractive and generally requires the use fof auxiliary equipment.

It is 'therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved receptacle.

Anotherobject of the present invention is to provide an improved handle bearing receptacle.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved handle bearing receptacle having a cover and means for releasably locking the cover in its closed position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cover carrying cardboard lbox having ya handle which functions to releasably lk the cover in a closed posi- -tion and which m-ay `be easily and rapidly attached to and detached from the box.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a Areceptacle of the above nature characterized by its simplicity, convenience, reliability, attractiveness and low cost.

The above and `other objects of lthe present invention will become apparent from a reading of the Afollowing description taken in conjunction with the -accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE l is a front perspective view of a receptacle embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is `an exploded fragmentary perspective view thereof;

FIGURE 3 `is an enlarged sectional view .taken along l-ine 3-3 in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional View taken along line 4-4 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5 5 in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of a base member according to another yembodiment of the present invention.

in a sense, the present invention contemplates the pro-- vision 'of a receptacle comprising a base member having a rst 'top wall, `a longitudinally extending resilient flexible handle member having end sections engaging longitudinally spaced points on said first top wall and -a cover member movable between lan open and closed l' ce position relative to said base member and having -a second top wall superimposed upon said rst top wall when said cover is in closed position, said second top wall having transverse `slots formed therein extending to the edge thereof and registering with said handle end sections, said `slots having side edges normally longitudinally offset relative to and engaging said handle end sections when said cover is in closed position to releasably lock said cover in said locked position. y

According to a preferred Iform `of the present invention, the base member has a pair of longitudinally spaced openings formed in its top wall which communicate with the edge of the top wall by way of transverse slits. The handle member is provided with end shanks registering with the -top wall openings and terminating in enlarged sections underlying the top Wall. 'I'he cover member is hinged along its bottom edge to the bottom of the base member and the transverse slots formed in its top wall lliare outwardly toward the free edge of the top 'wall and have shoulders offset relative to the rst wall openings.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES l to 5 thereof which illustrate a prefer-red embodiment `of the present invention, the reference numeral 10 generally `designates the improved receptacle in the form of a box including hinged basenand cover sections 11 and 12 respectively. The cover and base sections 11 and 12 may be formed of cardboard or other suitable material and constructed in `any well known manner and 4decorated as desired. The base member 11 consists of a front wall 13, preferably of ilat rectangular conguration although front walls or other outlines and configurations may be employed and a rearwardly directed peripheral flange including a top wall 14.

The cover member i12 is of similar shape to the base member 11 and of slightly greater height land width and preferably of slightly greater depth than the base member 11 so -that the base member 11 may nest in the cover member 12 to effect the closing of the box. Like the base member 11, the cover member 12 consists of a rectangular rea-r wall 16 provided with -a forwardly directed peripheral flange including `a top wall 17 which is superimposed on the base :top wall 14 when the box l1t) is closed. The lower edge of the base front wall 13 is advantageously hinged in any suitable fashion to the juxtapositi-oned front bottom edge of the cover member ange to form a unitary box structure and facilitate the opening and closing of the box 10.

Formed in the base member top wall 14 between the front and rear edge thereof are a pair of laterally spaced openings 18 which are symmetrically located on opposite sides of the transverse medial axis of the wall 14. Each of the openings 14 communicates with the rear free edge 19 of Ithe top w-all 14 'by way of transversely extending slits or narrow slots 20. Formed in the cover top Wall 17 `are a pair 'of laterally spaced slots 21 which are symmetrically spaced relative to fthe medial transverse axis of the wall 17 and communicate with the front edge 22 of the cover top wall y17. The side edges or shoulders 23 of the slots 21 diverge vapproaching the top wall front edge 22 to provide forwardly outwardly flaring slots 21. -It should be noted that the slots 21 are slightly laterally inwardly offset relative to the openings 18 for the purpose which will hereinafter become apparent.

Associated with the box 10 is `a handle member 26 formed of a resilient flexible material, `advantageously a synthetic organic plastic resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride and produced in any suitable manner such as by injection molding. The handle member 26 is in the shape of a substantially at band including a relatively wide midsectio-n 27 and Ilaterally oppositely directed relative narrow shank sections 28.

Each yof the shank sections 28 terminates in an enlarged ear 29 of greater width than the `opening 18. The handle `Shanks 2S register with the corresponding openings 18, the ears 29 underlying the base top wall 14 and the remainder of the handle overlying the wall 14. The distance between the ears 29 are suliciently greater than the distance between the openings 14 to bow the handle 27 upwardly to atiord finger clear-ance between the handle 26 and the top of the `closed box. The handle 26' may be applied to the top wall 14 merely by spreading the slits 20, sliding the shanks through the spread slits until they register with the openings `18 and then releasing the slits 20 so that they return to their closed positions and the handle 26 may be detached in the opposite sequence.

In use, when the tbox 10 is in vopen position the base and cover top walls 14 and 17 are separate and the handle 26 assumes a substantially unpinched bowed configuration `along the length thereof. Upon the closing of the cover 12 the top wall 17 slides transversely over the top wall 14 and lthe flared openings of the slots 21 are brought into registry with the handle shanks 28. Upon movement of the cover member '12 to its ully closed position the outer rearwardly laterally converging edge of each slot 21 engages the confronting outer tace of a corresponding handle shank 28 which is tightly embraced by the opposing edges of the slot 21 and the opening 18. When the box 10 is supported by the handle 26, the weight of the box tends to increase the 'angle of the shanks 28 to the horizontal thereby increasing the pressure of the edge lof the slots 21 on the handle Shanks 28 and further assuring the maintenance of the box 10 in `a locked position. The box 1t! may be readily unlocked to permit the opening thereof by merely releasing the pressure on the handle 26.

The embodiment of the present invention illustrated -in FIGURE 6 of the drawing diters from that first described only in fthe provision of va facing shell on the base member. Specifically, the base member 32 is similar to the base member 11, having openings 33 formed in the top Wall 34 thereof communicating with the rear free edge of the top wall 34 by way of transverse slits. The front wall 36 and the trout border of the base member peripheral flange are ycovered by a shell 37 which includes a peripheral flange abutting the outer face of the base member peripheral iiange to a point short of the openings 33. The shell 37 is suitably cemented to the base member 32 and is of a perimeter substantially that of the associated cover member so that when the box is closed, the confronting `free edges of the cover peripheral liange and the shell peripheral ange substantially abut. In all other respects, the embodiment of the invention last described is similar to lthat first set forth.

While Ithere have Ibeen described and illustrated preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is.

A receptacle comprising a base member provided with a iirst top wall having a pair of longitudinailyfspaced openings formed therein and slits extending transversely from said openings to a free edge of said first top wall,

a resilient flexible handle member having end shank sections registering Withsaid openings and terminating in enlarged ends disposed below Iand of greater width than said openings, and aA cover member hinged to said -base member along an edge opposite said top wall -andf swingable between an vopen and closed position relative to said base member and including a second top wall superimposed on said iirst top Wall when said cover member is in said closed position, said second top wall having transverse slots formed therein extending -to the outer edge thereof and register?? with said openings and provided with side edges inwardly longitudinally offset relative to said `openings |and releasably engaging said handle Shanks to releasably lock'said cover in closed position.

References Cited in the flelof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS -1,771,766 Berney et al. July 29, 1930 1,975,453 Fink Oct. 2, 1934 2,147,503 Seifer Feb. 14, 1939 2,445,412 Trogman July 20, 1948 3,044,105 fWigemark July 17, 1962 

